Tennessee Mountain

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Located approximately 65 miles Northeast of Elko, Nevada, Tennessee Mountain was a previously producing open pit Tungsten mine. Last operated in 1979, historical documentation details significant reserves still in the ground. Based off of a 1992 report, there is estimated to be 490,000 metric tons at .40% WO3 still in the ground. There are also additional areas that have been identified in the surrounding areas that could contain additional WO3 deposits.

According to a report produced in December of 1971 tungsten claims in the Alder Mining District of Elko County, Nevada were estimated to contain 396,000 tons of WO3 at 0.42% according to exploration activities conducted by Union Carbide Corporation.  Further exploration consisting of processing 5000 tons of mined material, 5 diamond drill holes, 40 long holes, 500 feet of drifting, and 120 feet of raising produced an estimated 48,390 proven tons of reserves at 0.60%. Although a significant amount of sampling and testing was conducted, it is unknown what level of accuracy this data holds.  In many of the holes sampled, the core interval varied between 2 to 10 feet in length.  

Overall, the exploration methods were appropriate and extensive, but it must be noted that the level of accuracy is unknown. According to the 1971 report, the primary geologic unit containing scheelite and powellite, the ore producing minerals, are lenses of tactite (skarn) located along the contact between an intrusive granite and a metamorphosed limestone (Tennessee Mountain Formation).  This unit is also noted to contain 50% garnet, percentages of pyroxene, hornblende, actinolite, chlorite, epidote and plagioclase.  Depending on what species of garnet the unit contains, garnet could potentially be a valuable part of the ore.